How to Create Workflows in Dynamics 365

Organizations can use workflows in Dynamics 365 Business Central to connect business process tasks performed by individual users. System administrators can also set up workflows to perform automatic functions alongside manual user tasks. There are a number of pre-configured workflow templates available within Business central to modify as needed. If there is no workflow available for a specific business scenario, you can coordinate with a Microsoft partner to configure custom application code. An example of that would be a function that can execute a workflow from JavaScript in Dynamics 365.

Setting Up a Workflow in Dynamics 365 Business Central

Before you get started building workflows in Dynamics 365, you have to set up workflow and approval users. In addition, you must configure the settings for notifying users about workflow steps. You may also need to create custom code.

Set Up Workflow Users

1. Select the search icon, type in Workflow User Groups, then pick the related link.
2. Select the New action to get the Workflow Users Group page to open.
3. Enter a maximum of 20 characters in the Code field to set up an identity for the workflow.
4. Describe the workflow in the Description field.
5. Look for the Workflow User Group Members tab, then fill in the fields.
6. Repeat step 5 to keep adding additional workflow users to that specific user group.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 to create additional workflow user groups.

Set Up Approval Users

1. Select the search icon, type in Approval User Setup, then pick the related link.
2. Add a new line within the Approval User Setup page, then fill in the necessary fields.
3. Test the approval user setup by selecting the Approval User Setup Test action.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each additional user.

Creating Custom Workflows for Business Tasks

There are three different sections to a Dynamics 365 workflow.

• When Event — Holds the trigger for the workflow. Examples include changing a master data record or releasing a new document.
• On Condition — Describes the conditions tied to an event. They open to create filters whenever the event gets triggered.
• Then Response — Issues a response to the next step in the workflow.

To start creating a workflow:

1. Select the search icon, type in Workflows, then pick the related link.
2. Select the New action to open the Workflow page.
3. Enter a maximum of 20 characters in the Code field to set up an identity for the workflow.
4. Choose the Create Workflow from Template action from the Workflows page to create a workflow from a template.
5. Describe the workflow in the Description field.
6. Type in the category to which the workflow belongs in the Category field.
7. Specify the activating event for the workflow in the When Event field.
8. Add the conditions that must be met to kick off the When Event in the Condition field.
9. Type in a response that follows the activation of a workflow event in the Then Response field.
10. Specify the workflow response options in the Options for the Selected Response tab by choosing relevant values.
11. Use the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons to indent the event name in the When field to define that step’s position in the workflow.
12. Repeat the steps for 7 through 11 to add more workflow steps before or after the step you just created.
13. Click the Enabled check box to specify that the workflow should start as soon as the first step in the Entry Point happens.

Creating Workflows from Templates

If you need to quickly get a new workflow up and running, you can use a non-editable template available within Business Central. They’re prefixed with an “MS-“ to indicate they’re a built-in Microsoft workflow template.

To create a template from a workflow:

1. Select the search icon, type in Workflows, then select the related link.
2. Pick the action titled “Create Workflow from Template.” You should see the Workflow Templates page open.
3. Choose a workflow template, then click OK.

Start building your workflow by following the steps for adding or modifying steps from the “Create Custom Workflows for Business Tasks” section.

Exporting and Importing Workflows

You can quickly import and export workflows between Business Central databases to save time when you need to build a new workflow.

Export a Workflow

1. Select the search icon, type in Workflows, then select the related link.
2. Pick a workflow, then select the action Export to File.
3. Choose the Save button on the Export File page.
4. Select a file location from the Export page, then click the Save button.

Import a Workflow

1. Select the search icon, type in Workflows, then select the related link.
2. Select the Import from File action.
3. Select the XML file containing your target workflow from the Import page, then click the Open button.

Revolutionize Your Business Processes With Dynamics 365 Workflows

By leveraging the power of workflows, you can reduce the amount of manual work your employees perform. Contact our Internet eBusiness Solutions tech professionals to learn more about optimizing the use of Dynamics 365 Workflows within your company.